CHAPTER3
A scarlet1 leaf spiraled lazily downfrom a branch above Lionblaze’s head. He sprang up, batting at it with his forepaws, then dropped to the ground again, his pelt2 hot with embarrassment3. Had any cat seen him behaving like a kit4?
The dawn patrol was heading back to the stone hollow. The sun had climbed above the trees, but in the shadows the leaves and grasses were still rimmed5 with frost. Leaf-fall was creeping over the forest, and the harsh days of leaf-bare were not far away.
Ashfur was leading the patrol; he had drawn6 a few fox-lengths ahead with Thornclaw and Brightheart. Lionblaze drew a breath of relief as he realized none of them had been watching him. He stood still for a couple of heartbeats, jaws7 parted and ears pricked8 for any sign of WindClan trespassers. But the faint traces of their scent10 all came from their own side of the border.
“Lionblaze!” Ashfur had halted, looking back over his shoulder. “Are you going to stand there until you take root?”
“Coming!” Lionblaze called back, bounding forward to catch up with his former mentor11. “I was just checking for WindClan.”
Ashfur gave him an approving nod. “That’s good, but I don’t think we have anything to worry about.”
“We can’t be too careful,” Lionblaze meowed, falling in beside the older warrior13 as they set off again.
Brightheart and Thornclaw had disappeared through the thick clumps14 of bracken; Lionblaze realized he had the chance he had been waiting for, to talk to Ashfur alone. Giving him a sidelong glance, he began, “Can I ask you something?”
“I feel like I need some extra battle training. Will you work with me?”
His former mentor stopped and faced him, his blue eyes stretched wide in surprise. “You’re a warrior now, Lionblaze,” he reminded him. “And one of the best fighters in the Clan9. Do you really think you have any more to learn?”
Ashfur’s praise warmed Lionblaze like a ray of sunlight; sometimes, when he was an apprentice16, he had despaired of ever pleasing the gray warrior.
“There’s alwayssomething more to learn,” he declared. “I want to stay as strong and fit as I can, so I’ll be ready for the next battle.”
Ashfur blinked thoughtfully. “I’m not sure there’ll be another battle. Not for a while, anyway.”
“WindClan might cause more trouble. And anyway, I still need the practice,” Lionblaze insisted. He flexed17 his claws, ready to tear frustratedly at the grass, then stopped himself. He didn’t want Ashfur to know how much this meant to him. “Please.”
“Okay.” Ashfur still looked unconvinced, but to Lionblaze’s relief he didn’t object anymore. “We could have a session now. I’ll just catch up to Brightheart and tell her to report to Firestar. Meet you at the training hollow.”
He bounded off, leaving Lionblaze to head to the training hollow by himself. The sunlight suddenly seemed brighter, and he relished19 the cool touch of the breeze in his fur and the dew on his pads. He knew that he had to keep training, to make the best use of his powers that he could, but he didn’t want Tigerstar to act as his mentor anymore.
Lionblaze shivered, as if thinking of the dark warrior could summon him; he glanced around but there was no sign of the striped shadow and burning amber20 eyes.
At first he had felt special, honored to be chosen by Tigerstar for extra training, and delighted to be able to beat the other apprentices21 with a move the dark warrior had shown him. But in the last few moons Tigerstar had changed, showing a hostile side and trying to control Lionblaze.
Or maybe he hasn’t changedMaybe I’m just seeing what Tigerstar has been like all along
He remembered Ferncloud scolding Foxkit and Icekit before they became apprentices: “If you don’t behave, Tigerstar will come and get you!”
Was I completely mouse-brained?Lionblaze wondered. Did I think he was helping26 me when all the time he was using me?
If he practiced with Ashfur, he wouldn’t need Tigerstar anymore. And if Tigerstar kept visiting him, he would be strong enough to fight him off.
Maybe he’ll leave me alone if I can prove I’m a good enough warrior without him
The training hollow was empty this early in the day, with a few wisps of mist still clinging to the grass. Lionblaze padded into the center and began practicing his battle moves, leaping and twisting in the air, imagining how he would land on Tigerstar’s broad shoulders and dig his claws into the dark tabby pelt.
“Pretty good.” Ashfur’s voice came from the other side of the hollow.
“Thanks,” Lionblaze panted.
He was turning to face his former mentor when Ashfur crashed into his side, knocking him off his paws. Furious that he hadn’t been ready, Lionblaze let out a screech27. He battered28 at Ashfur with his hind29 paws, while Ashfur tried to sink his teeth into his neck fur. The gray warrior’s heavier weight pinned Lionblaze down, driving all the breath out of him.
With a tremendous effort, Lionblaze rolled over, thrusting Ashfur away. He scrambled31 to his paws, breathing heavily, and sprang on top of Ashfur before his opponent could recover. He gave the gray warrior two quick blows from his forepaws, then tried to leap away.
But Ashfur was too quick for him. Flashing out a paw, he hooked Lionblaze’s hind legs from under him, and the two cats wrestled33 together on the ground. Lionblaze’s ear stung as Ashfur cuffed34 him. He pummeled his opponent with his forepaws, finding it hard to keep his claws sheathed35 as the red haze36 of battle threatened to engulf37 him.
“Stop!” Lionblaze hardly heard the yowl, but Ashfur rolled off him right away and sprang to his paws. Lionblaze was left scrabbling on the ground, shaking his head to clear it.
“What in StarClan’s name are you doing?”
Now Lionblaze recognized Firestar’s voice. He struggled to stand, blinking grit38 from his eyes, and spotted39 Firestar on the edge of the hollow with Whitewing, Icepaw, and Birchfall just behind him. The ThunderClan leader’s eyes flashed green fire.
“It was my idea, Firestar,” Lionblaze meowed. “I asked Ashfur to practice with me. We were just trying to—”
“I don’t want to listen to excuses.” Firestar’s voice was cold. “What I saw just now was far more vicious than a practice bout. At a time like this, with trouble on both sides of our territory, we can’t afford to have warriors injured. And with leaf-bare coming on, Leafpool can’t afford to waste her herbs on unnecessary wounds. Are you both mouse-brained?”
“I’m sorry, Firestar.” Lionblaze hung his head. “It’s my fault. Don’t blame Ashfur.” But how are we supposed to fight well if we aren’t allowed to practice?
“Ashfur is an experienced warrior. He should have more sense,” Firestar retorted with a flick44 of his tail. Then he relaxed slightly. “I know you’re keen, Lionblaze, and that’s good, but try to think ahead, will you? This isn’t a good time to be taking risks.”
His pelt crackling with shame and frustration45, Lionblaze muttered agreement.
“Whitewing, Birchfall, and Icepaw are going hunting,” Firestar continued. “You had better go with them, Lionblaze. Work off some of that energy on prey46 instead of another warrior. Ashfur, come with me.” With a flick of his tail, he padded out of the glade47, followed by the gray warrior.
“We thought we’d try down by the lake,” Whitewing mewed to Lionblaze.
“Whatever.” Lionblaze let Birchfall and Whitewing take the lead; they padded close together through the undergrowth, with Icepaw bouncing excitedly at the back.
The heat of battle was still pulsing through Lionblaze’s body. He wanted to sink his claws into something; he hoped a squirrel or a rabbit would cross his path soon.
He couldn’t stifle48 the feeling that Firestar had been unfair. Surely this was the righttime to practice fighting moves? There could be another battle any day with WindClan or ShadowClan. And how was he going to fulfill49 the prophecy if he never had the chance to work on his skills, to be the best warrior any Clan had ever seen?
Lionblaze pushed his way through the thorn tunnel, two mice and a vole dangling50 from his jaws, the scent of the prey flooding his senses. When he reached the clearing he spotted his brother and sister together outside the medicine cats’ den18. Hollyleaf signaled to him with her tail, so when he had dropped his fresh-kill on the pile, he bounded over to them.
“What’s this I hear about you and Ashfur fighting?” Hollyleaf demanded.
Jaypaw twitched his ears. “News runs through this camp faster than a rabbit. Don’t you know that yet?”
“Berrynose told me.” Hollyleaf sounded defensive52. “He heard you when he was out with a hunting patrol. He said you sounded really vicious.”
“Berrynose!” Lionblaze spat53 with a single lash32 of his tail. “Hasn’t he got anything better to do than gossip about other warriors?”
“Anyway, is it true?” Hollyleaf persisted. “What were you fighting about?”
Lionblaze felt his neck fur rising. His claws slid out and his muscles tensed; he wanted a real enemy to fight, not just gossip and unnecessary questions.
“We weren’t fighting,” he snapped. “We were training. Just leave it, will you? I’ve already had Firestar clawing my ears over it, and I think he’s wrong! I needmore practice. How can I defend my Clan if I forget what to do?”
By the time he had finished speaking he was spitting out the words, his claws raking the ground in frustration.
After a heartbeat Hollyleaf took a pace toward him and gently laid the tip of her tail on his shoulder. Lionblaze shivered, trying to push down the surge of fury that had nearly spilled over.
“You won’t lose your fighting skills,” Hollyleaf mewed. “Don’t you see? That’s the special power the prophecy gave you, to fight better than any other warrior in the Clans54.”
“You don’t understand,” Lionblaze muttered. “It doesn’t feel like that. It feels like I have to keep practicing.”
“Well, you’d better not let Firestar catch you again. Cats are already starting to talk,” Hollyleaf warned. “We can’t let the rest of the Clan know about the prophecy, not until we’re sure what it means.”
“I’ll do my best,” Lionblaze promised, letting his shoulders sag55. “I won’t get into any fights with other warriors.”At least, not where Firestar can hear us
Thick darkness surrounded Lionblaze; the shrieks56 of battling cats echoed in his ears. He could taste the reek57 of blood and felt it clogging58 his paws and plastered in his pelt. His chest heaved as though he had been fighting all night. A gleam of moonlight pierced the clouds that churned across the sky; a single ray shed pale light on the ground at his paws. Lionblaze caught his breath in horror as he made out the body of Heatherpaw splayed out in the mud in front of him.
A gash59 ran down her body from her neck to her tail. Her light tabby fur was soaked with blood, black in the silver light. Her lips were drawn back in a frozen snarl60 and her blue eyes stared sightlessly at the sky.
“No…no…” he whimpered.
He started at the touch of a tail on his shoulder and whirled around to face Tigerstar’s intense amber gaze.
“Well done,” the huge tabby purred. “That was a battle well fought.”
“But this—this isn’t what I wanted!” Lionblaze protested.
“Isn’t it?” There was the hint of a growl61 in Tigerstar’s voice, and his eyes blazed. “Remember how she betrayed you! She nearly destroyed your whole Clan by telling WindClan about the tunnels.”
“But…” Lionblaze reached out a paw and laid it gently on Heatherpaw’s flank. Her fur was cold. “She didn’t deserve to die like this,” he murmured.
“All traitors62 deserve to die!” The fire in Tigerstar’s eyes flared63 up until Lionblaze was smothered64 in it; he let out a yowl of terror, expecting to feel his fur being scorched65. His paws thrashed on the blood-soaked ground, but he couldn’t move.
Another cat thrust a paw into his shoulder from behind. Lionblaze turned and unsheathed his claws, ready to spring on his enemy.
Dustpelt stood in front of him, his gaze glittering with annoyance66. Sunlight was pouring through the branches of the warriors’ den.
“Great StarClan, I thought WindClan was invading,” he snapped. “Do you have to make such a racket?”
“Sorry,” Lionblaze muttered. The moss67 and bracken from his nest was scattered68 from his thrashing around, and several other cats were looking up drowsily69 to see what the noise was about.
“I should think so.” Dustpelt turned away and went to curl up beside Ferncloud again.
Lionblaze was still shaking from his dream, his blood pounding with the heat of battle. He rose to his paws and pushed his way out of the den. Sandstorm and Spiderleg, over by the fresh-kill pile, turned to look at him curiously70.
The vision of Heatherpaw’s broken body hovered71 in Lionblaze’s mind, clearer than the clearing in front of him. Is that what I’m becoming? A cat who slaughters72? A cat like Tigerstar?
He wished he had never heard of the prophecy, and could be just an ordinary warrior with the same fighting skills as all his Clanmates.
But the words of the prophecy had been spoken, and Lionblaze knew there was no escape from the destiny it would bring down upon him and his littermates.
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1
scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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pelt
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| v.投掷，剥皮，抨击，开火 | |
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embarrassment
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| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
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kit
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| n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物 | |
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rimmed
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| adj.有边缘的，有框的v.沿…边缘滚动；给…镶边 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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pricked
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| 刺，扎，戳( prick的过去式和过去分词 )； 刺伤； 刺痛； 使剧痛 | |
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clan
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| n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派 | |
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scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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mentor
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| n.指导者，良师益友；v.指导 | |
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bout
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| n.侵袭，发作；一次(阵，回)；拳击等比赛 | |
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warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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clumps
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| n.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的名词复数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声v.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的第三人称单数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声 | |
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twitched
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| vt.& vi.（使）抽动，（使）颤动（twitch的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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apprentice
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| n.学徒，徒弟 | |
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flexed
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| adj.[医]曲折的，屈曲v.屈曲( flex的过去式和过去分词 )；弯曲；（为准备大干而）显示实力；摩拳擦掌 | |
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den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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relished
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| v.欣赏( relish的过去式和过去分词 )；从…获得乐趣；渴望 | |
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amber
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| n.琥珀；琥珀色；adj.琥珀制的 | |
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apprentices
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| 学徒，徒弟( apprentice的名词复数 ) | |
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kits
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| 衣物和装备( kit的名词复数 )； 成套用品； 配套元件 | |
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23
squeaked
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| v.短促地尖叫( squeak的过去式和过去分词 )；吱吱叫；告密；充当告密者 | |
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24
burrowed
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| v.挖掘（洞穴），挖洞( burrow的过去式和过去分词 )；翻寻 | |
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belly
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| n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛 | |
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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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screech
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| n./v.尖叫；(发出)刺耳的声音 | |
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battered
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| adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损 | |
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hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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taunted
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| 嘲讽( taunt的过去式和过去分词 )； 嘲弄； 辱骂； 奚落 | |
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31
scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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lash
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| v.系牢；鞭打；猛烈抨击；n.鞭打；眼睫毛 | |
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33
wrestled
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| v.（与某人）搏斗( wrestle的过去式和过去分词 )；扭成一团；扭打；（与…）摔跤 | |
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34
cuffed
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| v.掌打，拳打( cuff的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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35
sheathed
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| adj.雕塑像下半身包在鞘中的；覆盖的；铠装的；装鞘了的v.将（刀、剑等）插入鞘( sheathe的过去式和过去分词 )；包，覆盖 | |
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36
haze
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| n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊 | |
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engulf
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| vt.吞没，吞食 | |
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38
grit
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| n.沙粒，决心，勇气；v.下定决心，咬紧牙关 | |
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spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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41
scraps
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| 油渣 | |
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42
debris
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| n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片 | |
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43
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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44
flick
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| n.快速的轻打，轻打声，弹开；v.轻弹，轻轻拂去，忽然摇动 | |
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45
frustration
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| n.挫折，失败，失效，落空 | |
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46
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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47
glade
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| n.林间空地，一片表面有草的沼泽低地 | |
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48
stifle
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| vt.使窒息；闷死；扼杀；抑止，阻止 | |
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49
fulfill
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| vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意 | |
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50
dangling
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| 悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口 | |
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51
gaped
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| v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的过去式和过去分词 )；张开，张大 | |
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52
defensive
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| adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的 | |
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53
spat
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| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
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54
clans
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| 宗族( clan的名词复数 )； 氏族； 庞大的家族； 宗派 | |
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55
sag
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| v.下垂，下跌，消沉；n.下垂，下跌，凹陷，[航海]随风漂流 | |
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56
shrieks
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| n.尖叫声( shriek的名词复数 )v.尖叫( shriek的第三人称单数 ) | |
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57
reek
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| v.发出臭气；n.恶臭 | |
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58
clogging
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| 堵塞，闭合 | |
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59
gash
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| v.深切，划开；n.(深长的)切(伤)口；裂缝 | |
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60
snarl
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| v.吼叫，怒骂，纠缠，混乱；n.混乱，缠结，咆哮 | |
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61
growl
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| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
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62
traitors
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| 卖国贼( traitor的名词复数 )； 叛徒； 背叛者； 背信弃义的人 | |
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63
Flared
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| adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词 | |
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64
smothered
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| （使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制 | |
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65
scorched
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| 烧焦，烤焦( scorch的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（植物）枯萎，把…晒枯； 高速行驶； 枯焦 | |
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66
annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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67
moss
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| n.苔，藓，地衣 | |
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68
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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69
drowsily
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| adv.睡地，懒洋洋地，昏昏欲睡地 | |
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70
curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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71
hovered
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| 鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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72
slaughters
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| v.屠杀，杀戮，屠宰( slaughter的第三人称单数 ) | |
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